Former South African speedster Dale Steyn has named Allan Donald's bowling action as his favourite. While Steyn often leaned towards former Australian quick Brett Lee, he ultimately chose the legendary South African pacer.

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In a video posted by ESPNcricinfo on X, Steyn consistently picked Lee when asked to choose between the Australian and other greats like Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, Jasprit Bumrah, and Zaheer Khan. However, he briefly changed his choice when comparing Lee to former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond. Despite this, his final pick was Allan Donald, renowned for his smooth action and express pace.

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Donald, a key figure in South African cricket from 1991 to 2003, was a world-class bowler despite injuries affecting the latter part of his career. He retired after South Africa's exit from the 2003 World Cup. In 75 Tests, he claimed 330 wickets at an average of 22.25 and a strike rate of 47.0. In ODIs, he bagged 272 wickets in 164 matches at an average of 21.78.

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Remarkable career for Steyn

Steyn himself enjoyed a remarkable career. In 93 Tests, he took 439 wickets at an average of 22.95, with best figures of 7/51. He also registered 27 four-wicket hauls, 26 five-wicket hauls, and five ten-wicket hauls. Holding the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014, he was a dominant force in world cricket.

In ODIs, Steyn played 125 matches, taking 196 wickets at an average of 25.95, with best figures of 6/39. He remains South Africa’s fifth-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, with Shaun Pollock leading the charts with 387 wickets. In T20Is, he took 64 wickets in 47 matches at an average of 18.35 and an economy rate of 6.94. His best figures in the format were 4/9, making him South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is behind Tabraiz Shamsi (74 wickets).

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Across all formats, Steyn claimed 699 international wickets at an average of 23.37, with best figures of 7/51. He recorded 29 five-wicket hauls and five ten-wicket hauls, ranking second behind Pollock (823 wickets) as South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in international cricket.